Gyeongju International Marathon set for Oct. 17 with about 20,000 runners

Gyeongju in North Gyeongsang Province will host the 2026 Gyeongju International Marathon on Oct. 17, with runners setting off from Municipal Stadium at 8 a.m. and racing through the city center, the city announced Monday.

The event is co-hosted by Gyeongju City, North Gyeongsang Province, the Korea Athletics Federation and the Dong-A Ilbo. About 100 elite athletes from home and abroad and 20,000 Masters participants are expected to take part.

The Masters field is up by roughly 5,000 from the 15,067 who competed last year.

Races will be divided into elite international men's and domestic men's and women's categories, along with Masters divisions for the full marathon, half marathon and a 10-kilometer course.

The time limit is five hours for the full course, two hours and 30 minutes for the half, and one hour and 30 minutes for the 10-kilometer run.

Traffic controls will be in effect along the course from 7:50 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on race day.

Gyeongju City said it plans to clean up the stadium and surrounding course areas before and after the event and will notify residents in advance of traffic restrictions through local neighborhood offices to minimize inconvenience.

"The Gyeongju International Marathon is the city's flagship sporting event, drawing elite runners from home and abroad alongside more than 20,000 Masters participants," Gyeongju Mayor Ju Nak-young said. "We will prepare with safety as our top priority and do our best to ensure that participants and visitors can experience the charm of Gyeongju."